First book-length study of the novel that transformed Hemingway scholarshipWhen The Garden of Eden appeared in 1986, roughly twenty-five years after Ernest Hemingway s death, it was a watershed event that changed readers and scholars perceptions of the famous American author. Following five months in the life of protagonist David Bourne, a rising young writer of fiction, and his highly intelligent but artistically frustrated wife, Catherine, the novel is unique among Hemingway s works. Its exploration of gender roles and identities, unconventional sexual practices, race, and artistic expression challenged the traditional notions scholars and readers had of the iconic writer, and it sparked a debate that has revolutionized Hemingway studies.Suzanne del Gizzo and Frederic J. Svoboda have collected the best essays and reviews pieces that examine the novel s themes, its composition and structure, and the complex issue of editing a manuscript for posthumous publication and placed them in a single, cohesive volume.